Lucy Hawking: Stephen Hawking's daughter writes impassioned open letter to Katie Hopkins about rights of disabled people

Lucy Hawking, the author and daughter of acclaimed physicist Stephen, has written an emotional open letter to Katie Hopkins.

The Sun columnist was urged to reconsider her attitude towards disabled people after Hopkins described Labour leader Ed Miliband as looking like someone "on the spectrum".

Writing in the Guardian, Hawking said: "I hoped that now, no disabled person would encounter this kind of behaviour – and that they would be treated with respect and dignity."

Hawking's father has motor neurone disease, which has left him wheelchair bound and only able to speak via a computer.

She went on: "I have an autistic son. He’s very sweet, polite, hard-working, kind and generally lovely. But yes, he does stare at people from time to time.

"When we are on the tube, occasionally I have to say to a member of the public that my son is autistic and that I’m sorry he is staring. The reaction is always kind and compassionate."

Accusing Hopkins of making a "laughing stock" out of anybody not exactly like herself, Hawking asked her to "please stop". 

Lucy Hawking, the author and daughter of acclaimed physicist Stephen, has written an emotional open letter to Katie Hopkins.

The Sun columnist was urged to reconsider her attitude towards disabled people after Hopkins described Labour leader Ed Miliband as looking like someone "on the spectrum".

Writing in the Guardian, Hawking said: "I hoped that now, no disabled person would encounter this kind of behaviour – and that they would be treated with respect and dignity."

Hawking's father has motor neurone disease, which has left him wheelchair bound and only able to speak via a computer. However, this wasn't the only reason Hawking was standing up for the rights of disabled people.

Katie Hopkins' most offensive moments

1 of 16

• 

Next

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

 

She went on: "I have an autistic son. He’s very sweet, polite, hard-working, kind and generally lovely. But yes, he does stare at people from time to time.

"When we are on the tube, occasionally I have to say to a member of the public that my son is autistic and that I’m sorry he is staring. The reaction is always kind and compassionate."

Accusing Hopkins of making a "laughing stock" out of anybody not exactly like herself, Hawking asked her to "please stop". Hopkins provided Twitter commentary during the leaders' debate in early April, and asked Miliband to "act off the spectrum" and said he looked "just plain weird".

The columnist has made a name for herself out of expressing controversial opinions. She described refugees fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa as "cockroaches". Hopkins and The Sun's editor David Dinsmore were reported to the Metropolitan Police for incitement to racial hatred.